Review: Wildebeest (2018)

Directed by: Nicolas Keppens, Matthias Phlips | 19 minutes | animation, short film | Original voice cast: Chris Boni, Sam Louwyck

When Linda and Troyer go on safari, a terrible thing happens. They are left behind by the jeep and have to survive in the wilderness. Still, Linda has an important goal in mind, which is to spot her beloved elephants.

“Wildebeest” consists of real filmed images, in which the 2d animated characters are, as it were, pasted. Troyer is a tough guy with a thick mustache and black mat and Linda a stocky, pale woman with an obsession with elephants. Together with three other typical tourists – think red-burned faces and white shirt with print – they are in a jeep tearing across the savannah. In addition to the wild animals, the iPad with elephant pictures and the décolleté of a fellow passenger are particularly interesting. When the group of tourists gets out and the jeep leaves without Troyer and Linda, the adventure begins.

“Wildebeest” is a comic short animation in which the typical Western tourist is made fun of. The two main characters are well thought out and have both recognizable and absurd characteristics. The interaction between the married couple creates silly dialogues and fine fragments of intimacy and the live-action images are used in a subtle way. “Wildebeest” is worth a look. The fact that there was a lot of time and concentration in the realization of the film radiates from it. Anyone who likes dry, silly humor will certainly enjoy this animation.